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Missing Ratings Thread

As a continuation of a thread from the old forum, I'd like to post any incidents here where a review is missing a rating. I'll continue to post here if more missing ratings are found, unless the moderators would prefer for seperate threads to be created with each newly-located incident.

Just one missing rating to start with:

While the review is short, the reviewer does breifly descibe the music. Furthermore, a similarly short review for the act's previous album, 'Is Survived By' has already been rated.

96 replies

Okay, so the last 'add-a-rating' request was an unlikely long-shot (though thanks for correcting the date on the Ladytron album) so here are some slightly better choices:

Can you investigate whether it's worth adding a rating to them?

T

Again only tangentially related (sorry), but in light of the new 5-star ratings, might there be a follow-up effort to write new reviews for these albums? Many of them currently don't explain the 5-star rating at all, e.g. https://www.allmusic.com/album/illadelph-halflife-mw0000648491

Surprised that the editorial team went with Illadelph Life when both Game Theory and Phrenology had a higher AllMusic score and more user ratings.

Had considered asking about rewrites in the update thread that had I started. There were a lot of albums that previously had a four-star rating or lower and many of their reviews still carry minor criticisms. Rewrites sometimes happen - the former senior editor did this for Radiohead's Kid A when it was regraded but that isn't the norm. It usually only happens when a reissue gets covered. At a guess, rewrites likely take up too much time - time that could be used on reviewing new releases.

Anyway, you can find the thread about the five-star updates here if you're interested.

T

Might I report a missing tracklist here as well? https://www.allmusic.com/album/chasing-shadows-mw0004749604

Sometimes it takes a bit longer for the tracklist to go all the way through data entry. We'll sometimes see this, or see the number of tracks with blank track titles, then the tracks come in over time.

It's not much of a review but I'd still like to ask if a rating can be added to the write-up for Trip to St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley.

In addition, the release date for Light & Magic by Ladytron is incorrect. As noted on their official website [here] it was released on 17th September 2002. The date currently listed was likely changed by mistake, when the recent reissue was added. Can you change it back?

Can you see if it's worth attaching a rating to Ordo Ad Chao by Mayhem? Should also note that Voice of a Tortured Soul by the same band has a rating but does not have a review.

Noticed changes to those entries earlier today. Thanks for the speedy response.

@Zac: Excuse the new post - can't post images in replies.

Here's a visual to help out. As shown, Advanced Search is currently listing Firedove amongst all releases with a 4.5 star rating, even though its visual rating displays it as having 4.0 stars. Using the settings that can be seen in the image, you should be able to see it for yourself.

I see what you're saying. The album comes back (accurately) displaying 4 stars even when you select 4.5 stars in the filter.

This is a bit of a disconnect between the data we have in our system and the data that comes back in the query from Xperi for this advanced search service.

The editors assign a star rating to albums.
Classical editors also assign a Classical Performance Quality Rating to classical albums.

This is flagged as a "Pop" album in the data we are provided, but it looks like the query to Xperi (hey, that rhymes!) is looking up the Classical Performance Quality Rating (4.5 stars) in this instance, and then we make a batch call internally to display our data (4 stars) on the page.

We're inquiring.

Thanks for the eagle-eye.

Interesting editorial info. Never noticed a Classical Performance Quality Rating. Is it not displayed publicly in case it confuses users?

Anyway, noticed that the ratings are all aligned now. Keep up the top work.

Congrats on the 'Best of 2025' article. There are a couple of inconistencies I've noticed with a few of the ratings. These two entries have different ratings in the article to the one they have on their review:

And this one is tagged as having a 4.5 star rating on the Advanced Search while it has a 4.0 star rating everywhere else:

Can you check them out to see what's going on?

Since these are all Classical albums, I'm wondering if there is something in the way the classical editors updated the ratings on these first two that didn't trigger a data update on our end. Odd. We'll look into it.

In regards to the Anna Lapwood album, this seems to also have a 4.0 in Advanced Search (at least today).
https://www.allmusic.com/advanced-search 
Maybe this one was properly updated throughout the system overnight?

Thanks for your eagle-eyed attention. We'll get these updated and investigate further.

Thanks for rating the albums in the last request. This one's probably the last request before the holiday season starts - one more handful of unrated reviews for your team to investigate:

And another double entry that could possibly do with a merge, with Neil Young's new record. You find the entries both here and here. Thanks in advance!

Have a selction of different requests for your team this week. First up - as usual, some recent finds of unrated reviews that I'd ask you to query for a rating They are as follows:

The next request is to ask you to merge two entries of Tame Impala's self-titled EP, found both here and here.

This last one's possibly a bit out-of-line and not the kind the request I would usually make but with Pavement recently releasing both Heckler's Choice and the Pavements soundtrack, I wondered if the editors would reconsider the rating for Watery, Domestic. It's generally well-loved by hardcore fans and other critics. Your editor's review of it also suggests its a pretty good listen, so its current rating seems at odds with it. It kinda sticks out amongst your editorial team's otherwise great takes on the band's discography!

I've also found a pair of recent reviews that went up without a rating and one that wasn't so recent. Can you take a look at them and possibly rate them? Here's the trio in question:

Blake Mills / Pino Palladino - That Wasn't a Dream
Sarah McLachlan - The Classic Christmas Album
Walter Trout - Sign of the Times

T
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Still no ratings.

No worries. It can take up to a few weeks for the editors to look into it, though it's usually less. I'm just thankful that they're willing to look into these issues at all.

I usually send these all at once to the editors in a weekly roundup on Wednesdays.
I was on vacation last week.

I have sent these on.

T
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Thanks Zac, hope you enjoyed your well-deserved holiday!

T
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Here's another one from this week: https://www.allmusic.com/album/disquiet-mw0004596095

It seems to me there might be a problem in particular with Thom Jurek's account, or however the submission system works, because it's often his reviews that miss stars.

Quick work - thanks for the updates.

T

This review didn't get stars: https://www.allmusic.com/album/hyperglyph-mw0004567585

Neither did Tyler, the Creator's latest album.

If you're still willing to make these edits, here are some more unrated reviews for your team to check out and update:

Just noticed that these have been updated - thanks for adding a rating to all of them.

Been a while but here's another series of unrated reviews for your team to check out. There are a few here that read more like placeholder paragraphs but maybe they could be queried nonetheless:

  1. Alan Sparkhawk - Solo Guitar
  2. Arch Enemy - War Eternal
  3. Cradle of Filth - Eleven Burial Masses
  4. Cradle of Filth - PanDaemonAeon
  5. Cradle of Filth - Vempire, Or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein
  6. Eric Chuch - Mr. Misunderstood on the Rocks Live & (Mostly) Unplugged
  7. Eric Church - Chief/Caught in the Act/Carolina/Sinners Like Me
  8. Godflesh - In All Languages
  9. Godflesh - Stateman/Cold War
  10. Godflesh - Songs of Love and Hate/Love and Hate in Dub/In All Languages
  11. Tremonti - All I Was
  12. Tremonti - Cauterize
  13. Tremonti - Dust
  14. Tremonti - Marching in Time

Also, 'Audio Biography CD' 'Maximum Filth', 'Pulp' and 'Tyrants of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan' all have ratings without reviews. Just letting you know in case you want to add the reviews in or remove the ratings.

Thanks for looking into those ratings without reviews. There seem to be a lot more of those around - way too many to list. Unless the editorial team finds it really helpful, it's probably not worthwhile continuing to post them all.

As for those unrated reviews, it looks like it was decided to keep them that way. That's understandable when the articles aren't critiques but some of those entries, like 'Solo Guitar', 'Vempire...' or 'Mr. Misunderstood... Unplugged', definitely read more like reviews than summaries. Many of their editors no longer appear to be with AllMusic. Would that be the reason for leaving them unrated?

C

Similar to the problem from the last poster, I've noticed a new rating go up for a release without a review. Could you find out if there is meant to be a new review for Preacher's Daughter by Ethel Cain?

We'll take a look.

C

Thanks for getting the TiVo staff to add their review.

Can you also ask them about the rating for Innocence Is Kinky by Jenny Hval?

Hey - just want to pass along a few more links to unrated reviews that could do with a rating, if you have the time:

Flipping the script for the next one, I wondered if there was meant to be a new review for the new Edwyn Collins record, Nations Shall Speak Unto Nation. This isn't a request for one. It's just that a rating was added to it a couple of weeks ago but there wasn't a review to go with it. Another error maybe?

C

Hey, can you add a rating to Jour de Chance by Vive la Fête? Thank you.

Haven't had much of a chance to look for missing ratings recently, though I did come across this recent one for 'Good Music to Lift Los Angeles', which remains unrated.

Also noticed a weird error with the advanced search. Remember that issue with the re-rated five star albums from five years ago? Something similar has happened to some of the new releases. None of them have a review or a visible rating but are showing up on the search as though they do have one:

These are the entries I've noticed. There may be others. Here's a picture to show you what's going on with those entries:

At first I thought reviews for them would be uploaded a day-or-so after but they've been showing up like this for over a week now.

Hmmm... Something may be hung up in our Advanced Search databuilding process.

We'll investigate.
Thanks.

Seems like the error with Advanced Search was fixed. Thanks Zac.

C

Hi,

After reading the review for Mogwai's new album, I spotted a couple of other unrated entries in their discography section. There's the Earth Division EP and The Fountain soundtrack. Very short reviews and maybe not worth a rating but please could you check them out?

There's also an error on the new Matt Berry album, Heard Noises. On its page, it states that it was released in 2024 instead of 2025. It looks like that error also carries across to the Advanced Search.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Matt Berry album date.

Looking at the Mogwai releases, I believe (as you assessed) those are just basic coverage blurbs and not full critical reviews and therefore likely won't receive editorial quality ratings.

C

It's a shame those released won't get a rating but thanks for having a look at them.

C

Is the review for Shawn Mendes' MTV Unplugged worth rating?

Looking at the text, it looks more like basic "coverage" and not a full editorial/critical assessment.

C

I see what you mean. Why do the editorial team write these basic coverage paragraphs for some releases?

Chris, the editors license their biographies and reviews out to multiple music services and web portals. It is possible that another service is interested in basic-level coverage of more minor releases (if the writers can't invest the time to put in a full-blown critical analysis).

A bit early this time but there's only a trio of entries for your team to add ratings to, if they're happy to do so:

As usual, please can you attach some ratings to the following unrated reviews:

Bear with me here: after not being able to access the forum for a while I've been saving up quite a number of unrated reviews. If you're up to the challenge, please have a look at this list and award those that you feel should have one:

Amy Winehouse - Frank B-Sides
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Cold 'n' Wet
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Strange Form of Life
Bruce Springsteen - Dream Baby Dream
Fleetwood Mac - Blues Jam in Chicago, Vol. 2
Fleetwood Mac - Live at the Record Plant...
Fleetwood Mac - London Live '68
Fleetwood Mac - Perfect Days: Live & Studio Recordings
The Horrors - Shadazz
King Crimson - 21st Century Guide to King...
King Crimson - Live in Japan 1995
King Crimson - Live in Mexico 1996
King Crimson - The Collector's King Crimson...
Klaus Schulze - La Vie Electronique, Vol. 15
Klaus Schulze - ...Live...
Klaus Schulze - Official Boot, Vol. 1: Stars...
Klaus Schulze - Virtual Outback
Lady Gaga - The Lowdown
Sonny Clark - Sonny Clark Trio [Time]
Steve Roach - Journey of One: The Tribal...
Steve Roach... - Mantram
Suicide... - Diamonds Furcoat Champagne
Suicide | Lydia Lunch - Frankie Teardrop
The The - Cinéola, Vol. 3: Hyena
Xiu Xiu - Remixed & Covered
Young Widows - Wound Widows Split Series, Vol. 1

C

Some of your new reviews do not have ratings. You may want to check the following:

 >>>> by BEAK>

Keep Me Fed by The Warning

Lemons, Limes and Orchids by Joan As Police Woman

Lil Boat by Lil Yachty

Days Before Rodeo by Travis Scott

Seeming as your team were so speedy with the previous list (nice work!) here are another handful of releases for them to look through. If they could add a rating to any of them that would be fantastic: